A mixed bag of travel fun and information by a longtime travel dream maker. Connie George Travel Associates specializes in arranging cruise groups designed for girls getaways, church, social, family reunions and organizations. We also have among the best consultants worldwide which specialize in wheelchair accessible cruising. Talk to us about booking your next vacation. We want to show you how easy it can be to plan your next fantastic getaway!

Monday, February 28, 2011

Book ‘em, Danno…. To Hawaii

I used to watch Hawaii Five-O with my grandparents. Great scenery, good stories and terrific acting kept the show on for 12 seasons. It would probably be profound if I could tell you that the show played into my becoming a travel consultant, but that would be as fictional a story as any of the show’s storylines!

Although I enjoyed the original season, memories of it didn’t cause me to get excited about a remake of the series. I pictured a dated “cop series” that couldn’t compete with the many crime shows now on television. But one night I DVR’ed the show for the heck of it and finally watched it one night. I was hooked. This is definitely not your grandmother’s Hawaii Five-O.

With television’s advanced technology over the years, the scenery is fantastic. The theme music is addictive. The show is current, the stories are compelling, the acting is good and for some reason, I find that I really enjoy the theme song.

As an agent, I’m often asked, “What’s the most popular place to go for vacation?”

Hawaii has always been popular. It’s exotic, beautiful, welcoming, historical, cultural and offers many relaxing and exciting options for visitors. But its popularity has increased because of Hawaii Five-O. Many of the show’s fans aren’t content to sit back and watch the show when they can experience the islands of this state for themselves by cruise ship or plane.

Hawaii is made up of many islands with the five most popular ones visited by tourists being:

* Oahu - home of Honolulu, Waikiki and Pearl Harbor

* Hawaii - also known as “The Big Island”, has black sand beaches and an active volcano

* Kauai - where Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii” was filmed

* Maui – visitors quickly experience why this is The Magic Isle

* Molokai – where Father Damian cared for the residents of the leper colony

Hawaii is a three hour flight from the west coast. Once there, you can island hop with a suggested minimum of three nights in each island you wish to visit if you will be staying in hotels, condos or villas. Or you can board Norwegian Cruise Lines’ (NCL) Pride of America to enjoy five ports without unpacking more than once.

You can also enjoy a more leisurely one way or roundtrip cruise between the west coast and Hawaii on lines such as Holland America, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. These range from 11 nights to multiple weeks in length that can also include other ports dotting the Pacific Ocean.

The Hawaii Tourist Board has a terrific website for those wanting to learn more about all that Hawaii offers to tourists and the agents at Connie George Travel Associates are anxious to help make your dreams of a Hawaii vacation come to life.